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HBO Films mines trio for 'Zinc'

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Uma Thurman, Jonathan Pryce and Paddy Considine have been tapped to star in "My Zinc Bed," an HBO Films/BBC adaptation of the play by acclaimed playwright David Hare.

Anthony Page ("Inadmissible Evidence") is on board to direct the film from a screenplay by Hare ("The Hours").

The three-person "Zinc" examines issues of alcohol addiction and obsession through the story of a young recovering alcoholic (Considine) who becomes involved with his boss' young wife, previously a cocaine addict. Pryce plays the boss, and Thurman is the wife.

"We are thrilled to be working with David Hare; he truly is a writer in a league of his own," HBO Films president Colin Callender said. "It is a testament to his provocative script and to director Anthony Page that we have been able to bring together such a wonderful cast of distinguished actors. We are delighted to have been able to lure Uma Thurman, Jonathan Pryce and Paddy Considine back to HBO."

Thurman won a Golden Globe for her starring role on HBO's "Hysterical Blindness," Pryce earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for HBO's "Barbarians at the Gate," and Considine stars in HBO Films' upcoming "PU-239."

HBO Films senior vp Julie Goldstein and vp Maria Zuckerman as well as the BBC's David Thompson will oversee the project, which is filming in London.

The original 2000 staging of "Zinc" at London's Royal Court starred Tom Wilkinson, Julia Ormond and Steven Mackintosh. It was nominated for the BBC Award for best new play at the 2001 Laurence Olivier Theatre Awards.

"Zinc" is one of several adaptations of smaller-cast British plays that HBO Films and BBC have in the works. The companies recently teamed to adapt Caryl Churchill's two-man play "A Number," which will star Wilkinson and Rhys Ifans (HR 4/9). That film is executive produced by Doelger and Scoffield, with Morris serving as producer.

Hare received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for writing the 2002 feature adaptation of his play "The Hours," which also earned him a WGA Award.

Thurman is repped by CAA and attorney Karen Gottlieb. Considine is repped by CAA. Pryce is repped by Endeavor.